The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and associated method for controlling uplift of a metal roof and, more specifically, to a unitary mounting device positionable and securable to part of a raised portion or seam of a roof.
Metal roofs formed by interconnected metal panels can be susceptible to uplift and tearing due to lifting forces caused thereon by blowing winds. Such wind blown metal panels can be hazardous to nearby people and property. For example, during particularly windy conditions, metal panels can detach or tear from the metal roof and injure passers-by. As such, and with the increased use of metal panels in building construction, there has been an increased need to address ways in which to simply and conveniently control the uplift of such metal roofs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,340 to Bellem, issued Jun. 29, 1993, generally discloses a device for increasing uplift resistance of metal standing seam roofs. The device disclosed in Bellem includes a first elongate part having a head, a longitudinal recess beneath the head, a foot extending below the recess and a hole laterally extending therethrough, a second elongate part having a hole laterally extending therethrough and a mating surface opposing the recess and mating surface of the first elongate part, and a fastener for drawing the first and second elongate parts together, to confine the roof seam in the recess. The device disclosed in Bellem however, is not readily adaptable to certain raised seams, especially horizontal standing seams (i.e., seams that are oriented parallel to the roofing surface or a raised seam on a metal roof that protrudes primarily laterally in relation to the roof). In addition, securing the device of Bellem to raised portions on a roof is time consuming as the first and second elongate parts must both be positioned about the raised seam such that the holes extending laterally through the first and second elongate parts are aligned. Once aligned, a fastening device may be inserted through the holes in order to draw the first and second elongate mating parts together to confine the raised portion within the recess of the first elongate part. In this regard, the assembling a number of the devices of Bellem on a metal roof is a time and labor intensive task, which results in increased costs.
There has also been an increased need to address ways in which various building attachments can be interconnected with a metal panel surface. For instance, there is often a need to attach a sign to the face of a metal panel. Moreover, in the case of metal roofs, there is often a need to mount/secure various types of equipment thereon (e.g., fans, air conditioning units, walkways, signage, facades) via an appropriate frame. In addition, in various climates it may be desirable to position a snow retention device on a metal roof to control/inhibit/impede the movement of snow and/or ice down the pitch of the roof.
Sliding snow and/or ice from roofs can be hazardous to people, the surrounding landscape, property, and building components. For example, snow or ice sliding from a roof above an entryway may injure passers-by. Similarly, falling snow or ice can do damage to landscape features, such as shrubs, and property or building components, including automobiles or lower roofing portions. In addition, sliding snow or ice can shear off antennas, gutters or other components attached to a building roof or wall, thereby potentially causing a leak. The problem of sliding snow or ice is particularly experienced in connection with metal roofs, including raised seam roofs (e.g., standing seam), where there is relatively little friction between the roof and the snow or ice. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9craised seam roofsxe2x80x9d includes roofs formed by a series of panels interconnected to define longitudinal, raised portions. It may therefore be desirable to provide a guard suitable for controlling movement of snow and/or ice across/along selected areas of such metal roofs.
Snow guard devices were initially developed for use on tile and shingle roofs. In one type of configuration for use on such roofs, an L-shaped brace has one leg which is fastened to the roof and another leg which projects upwardly from the roof. The fastening leg is typically nailed or screwed into the roof beneath a shingle or tile. By positioning and attaching a plurality of these braces to the roof in substantially linear fashion, linear bars may be positioned within/through one or more receiving areas of the respective upwardly projecting legs to provide a fence-like configuration for snow and/or ice retention. U.S. Pat. Nos. 97,316 to Rogers, issued Nov. 30, 1869, U.S. Pat. No. 106,580 to Hathorn, issued Aug. 23, 1870, U.S. Pat. No. 250,580 to Rogers, issued Dec. 6, 1881, and U.S. Pat. No. 756,884 to Parry, issued Apr. 12, 1904, are generally representative of this type of device.
A device which employs a similar structure to the above but which does not require the individual braces to actually be affixed to the roof is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 42,972 to Howe, issued May 31, 1864. In this case, the plurality of braces for receiving the linear bars are positioned on opposite sides of the roof and are interconnected by a harness assembly. By positioning the brace/bar assemblies on both sides of the roof, the snow retention device is presumably held in position.
Other snow retention devices for shingle or tile roofs have utilized a more unitary structure. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 459,876 to Powers, issued Sep. 22, 1891, discloses a snow guard having two laterally displaced spikes which are driven into the roofing surface, with the interconnecting portion of the spikes having a generally V-shaped configuration which extends downwardly toward the roofing surface. U.S. Pat. No. 602,983 to Folsom, issued Apr. 26, 1898, discloses a device used with a tiled roofing surface having grooves formed such that the spikes or leg portions of the device may be positioned therein. An interconnecting portion between the spikes or legs in this instance incorporates a loop-like configuration.
Another snow retention device is the SNOWJAX(trademark) snow guard which is believed to be the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,182 to McMullen, issued Feb. 27, 1979. This device comprises a plastic barrier having a generally L-shaped cross-section. The device can be installed by smearing the underside of the device with silicon intended to provide a weather seal, positioning the device against the roof surface, and attaching the device to the roof with screws such that the screws penetrate the roofing surface and become anchored into an underlying structural member. An adhesive may be used in place of the screws where desired.
The ThyCurb division of Thybar Corporation has also marketed a snow guard device for use on trapezoidal-type, standing seam roofs having 24 inch wide panels and is believed to be the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,107 to Strickert, issued Oct. 6, 1992. The device comprises a horizontal steel member which spans one panel width. The horizontal member is fixedly attached at ends thereof to mounting members which straddle the trapezoidal panel ribs. These mounting members are fastened to the panel ribs by screws.
There are a number of problems generally associated with one or more of the snow guard devices described above. First, such devices may cause the roof to leak. Many of the devices described above are attached to the roof by a screw, nail or other fastener which pierces the roofing surface. Such piercing of the roof can lead to undesired leakage due to inadequate sealing or shearing of the fastener by the forces exerted thereon by sliding snow and/or ice. In an attempt to prevent leakage, sealants and/or gaskets are often applied around the holes pierced through the roofing surface. However, these measures complicate installation and may not fully prevent leaks. Alternative methods for the attachment of snow guard devices to roofs such as adhesive bonding may fail to provide secure attachment and/or may be difficult to install on a sloped surface, particularly where the device is applied to a smooth, non-porous roofing material such as metal.
Many known snow guard devices can also cause undesired pinning of the roofing materials. Metal roofing sheets are often designed to be moveable so as to accommodate normal thermal expansions and contractions. Where snow guard devices such as described above are attached to the roof by a screw, nail or the like which pierces the roofing surface and is anchored into an underlying structural member or deck, the designed thermal movement characteristics of the roof can be compromised, thereby adversely affecting the roof""s performance.
The types of snow guard devices described above are also generally not readily adaptable for use in a broad range of raised seam roofing applications. Some of the devices described above are not intended for raised seam roofing applications at all but, rather, are primarily for use on shingled or other non-raised seam roofs. Other known devices are designed for use on raised seam roofs having a particular panel width and seam profile and cannot be easily adjusted for use in connection with panels of differing widths or seams of various profiles. Moreover, some known devices are designed to be permanently connected to a roof such that the device cannot be easily repositioned as may be desired. In addition, known snow guard devices generally comprise a snow blocking element having a height, relative to the roof surface, which is unadjustable, difficult to adjust, or adjustable only between a small range of predetermined positions. Accordingly, the user""s ability to adjust such devices, as may be desired to suit particular conditions with respect to snowfall, drifting and the like, is limited.
Based upon the foregoing, there is a need for a clamp which is easy to use, adaptable to horizontally or vertically oriented raised seams, and positionable on a raised seam without adversely affecting its performance.
The present invention is generally directed toward a utility mounting device which is attachable to a raised portion or seam of/on a building surface, such as to facilitate an interconnection between a member (e.g., snow retention device, frame, sign) and the building surface. Typically, the present invention will be used with a metal roofing or siding surface which is formed by interconnected sheet metal panels which define a certain standing seam configuration at the panel interconnection and in which a base portion is thus positioned between the standing seams at a lower elevation (relative to the upper portion of the standing seam). Consequently, the present invention will be described with regard to such standing seams, although it will be appreciated that all that is required for use of the present invention is a raised portion on a building surface to allow for attachment of the mounting device of the present invention thereto.
In one aspect of the present invention, a mounting device is provided which includes a unitary mounting body, which may be formed from a substantially rigid material, for simplified attachment of the mounting device to the building surface. A slot is formed in and extends through at least a portion of the mounting body and is formed by at least two sidewalls. The slot also has a height, width and a length, the length exceeding at least one of the width and height. Moreover, the slot may be positioned over at least part of the standing seam. In this regard, a securing assembly is also provided for securing at least part of the raised portion within the slot. This securing assembly may include one, but preferably two or more threaded members which extend through the mounting body and one of the sidewalls of the slot to forcibly engage the standing seam between the member(s) and the opposing slot sidewall. Moreover, a cavity (e.g., hole, dimple) may be formed on the opposing sidewall of the slot such that part of the standing seam is deformed therein by the engagement of the threaded member against the opposing surface of the standing seam.
The above-described mounting body may also include a first mounting cavity which is adapted for receiving a member to be interconnected with the building surface (e.g., snow retention device, frame structure, sign) or more typically an interconnector/adapter between the member and mounting body. This mounting cavity is preferably on a surface of the mounting device which itself may be used to provide support (e.g., an upward facing surface). In some applications, it may be desirable to incorporate a second mounting cavity. For instance, in order to accommodate for the use of the mounting device with both vertical and horizontal standing seam configurations (i.e., the general orientation of the upper portion of the seam), it may be desirable for the first and second mounting cavities to assume different (e.g., generally perpendicular) orientations through the mounting body. In this case, a generally upwardly extending mounting cavity can be available for use regardless of the orientation of the mounting device on the standing seam.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed toward a roof assembly which utilizes a mounting device for a roofing surface having the above-described displaced standing seams. In this regard, one mounting device is appropriately secured to one of the laterally displaced standing seams and another mounting device similarly secured to another of the standing seams. A first member extends between and is interconnected with these mounting devices to control the movement of snow and/or ice down the pitch of the roof along the panel base between the standing seams. In order to further assist in the control of this movement, a second member is attached to and extends away from the first member into engagement with the panel base. In order to allow for adaptation of the second member to a variety of applications (e.g., different roof pitches, where the spacing between the standing seams varies such that it may be desirable to use two or more of the second members between each pair of adjacent standing seams), the second member may be detachably connected to the first member by a snap-fit connector which includes an arcuate cavity and inwardly projecting detent. One orientation which the second member may assume is to extend from the first member in a direction which is generally toward the peak of the roof such that the snow and/or ice will effectively wedge the second member in position against the panel base of the roof.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed toward a roof assembly for a roofing surface having the above-described laterally-displaced standing seams. A first member extends between the displaced standing seams and includes at least one channel portion for receiving a second member. The first member is interconnected with the standing seams by mounting devices such as those described although other types of fasteners may be used. Although this first member may be used to control the movement of snow and/or ice down the roof, it may also be used to provide for color coordination between the roofing surface and the roofing assembly to improve/maintain aesthetics by selecting a second member of a desired color. That is, the second member may actually be cut to size from one of the sheet metal panels and positioned within the first member. In this regard, another member may extend between the mounting devices behind the first member (i.e., more towards the peak of the roof) to primarily provide for the control of movement of snow and/or ice down the pitch of the roof.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a mounting device (i.e., a clamp) for controlling the uplift of metal roofs. The present invention is particularly useful in connection with roofs which are formed by interconnected metal panels which define a standing or raised seam configuration at the interconnection between adjacent panels. In this aspect of the present invention and substantially as described above in connection with other embodiments of the invention, each clamp comprises a unitary mounting body and has a slot extending therethrough. The slot may be positioned over at least part of the standing seam to receive at least a portion of the seam within the slot. A securing assembly comprising an elongated member extends through at least one bore or hole in the unitary mounting body to engage (e.g., frictionally) and secure at least a portion of the seam within the slot of the unitary mounting body. The one-piece mounting body facilitates installation, and allows for use with multiple standing seam configurations and/or orientations.
In another embodiment of the invention, the clamp may further comprise at least one leg extending from the unitary mounting body. The leg functions to provide additional surface area to engage the standing seam and/or panels, which provides for increased control against uplift of the roof. The legs may be integrally formed with the unitary mounting body and may extend from a lower surface of the unitary mounting body. The legs may extend generally laterally relative to a side surface of the unitary mounting body or, alternatively, be disposed at an obtuse angle relative to a side surface of the unitary mounting body, depending upon whether the standing seam is straight (e.g., horizontally oriented) or trapezoidal in configuration.
Another aspect of the present invention directed to controlling uplift on roof includes utilizing the above-described clamps with cross-members extending therebetween. Such cross-members primarily function to provide resistance against bowing of portions of the panels (i.e., the base of the panels) between the seams. Cross-members may extend above the roof between adjacent panels and, in a preferred embodiment, are connected to clamps mounted on the seams where clips extend between the seams and a roof substructure. In a preferred embodiment, the cross-members are connected to the clamps such that the cross-member engages or is positioned above the base of the panels.
The above-described clamps may be positioned at various locations on a roof. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of clamps can be positioned at predetermined locations corresponding with areas in which the seams are interconnected or xe2x80x9canchoredxe2x80x9d to a roof substructure, such as a purlin. In this regard, the unitary mounting bodies may be positioned and secured to portions of seams having a part of a clip therebetween, the clip extending between and interconnecting a raised seam and a purlin.